In+the+Beginning

Beowulf The Old English poem Beowulf follows Beowulf from heroic to heroic old age. He saves a neighboring people from a monster, Grendel, eventually becomes the king of his own people, and dies defending them from a dragon. It is a great adventure story, and a deeply philosophical one. Scholars differ over the poem's original purpose and audience, but Beowulf probably appealed to a wide audience and garnered a range of responses.

Beowulf survives in one manuscript, which is known as British Library, Cotton Vitellius A.15. At least one scholar believes the manuscript is the author's original, but most scholars believe it is the last in a succession of copies. Beowulf may have been written at any time between circa 675 A.D. and the date of the manuscript, circa 1000 A.D.


 * Don't think of it as 'old' -- think of it as ground-breaking! After all, the tale 'Beowulf' is still powerful enough today that there is a new movie of it! **



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Question. What aspect of life in our modern world do you most fear losing? What would be the results of the loss of this thing?

We as a group most fear the loss of the internet and its resources. Without the internet, the world would lose efficiency and communication, which is what sets the “modern world” apart. (Chris, Anita, Nicholas)

We most fear losing technology because without it we will lose the access to information and be more stagnant in economic and social progression. Without technology the gap between nations would be wider, which will result in less efficient means of communication. (Carolyn, Joowon, Amy)

We fear losing our desire to increase our quality of life and convenience. If society doesn't continue to advance we'll have nothing to look forward to and our lives will be always the same. (Alan, Ben, JiSup)

The most fearful thing to lose is convenience that technology provides us on a daily basis. This includes faster social connections, easier means of transportation, and faster access to knowledge which gives us more time to slack off. (Gaby, Nicole, Steven)

We would fear losing the spontaneity of daily life. We would loss the passion and drive to make life better. (Jimmy, Jeffrey, Kelton)

We most fear losing time because loss of time will make us waste time on events and plans we don't actually want to do and we won't fully appreciate the world around us. (Phoebe, Hailey, Luke, Max)

The greatest loss that society could suffer would be the loss of knowledge. Without the knowledge that past generations have handed down, knowledge of diseases which threaten the human life or knowledge that has developed in conjunction with technology, then all the things that make our life “modern” would cease to exist. (Anna, Eric, Catherine, Henry)

Question. What makes you (as a group representative of teens today) afraid?

Speaking as fairly comfortable International students, we feel that most teenagers fear the unknown. We fear losing reliability or comfort, and of being unsure what to do next. (Chris, Anita, Nicholas)

We fear that some media are using their wide outreach to manipulate people for harmful purposes. (Carolyn, Joowon, Amy)

We fear things that would really negatively impact us; things that change really close to us. (Alan, Ben, JiSup)

Negative news makes us afraid by exposing false and violent news to scare us from a world that is statistically safer than ever. (Gaby, Nicole, Steven)

As a group representative of teens today we would be afraid of the future. (Jimmy, Jeffrey, Kelton)

As a group we fear the real world. (Phoebe, Hailey, Luke, Max)

We are afraid of the ramifications that technology and progress may have on humanity and ethics. (Anna, Catherine, Eric, Henry)

PUT YOUR NOTES ON YOUR SECTION HERE TO HELP YOUR CLASSMATES:

Collapse of the Roman Empire The Roman Empire was destroyed along with their culture and infrastructure by the invading tribes.

The Germanic Invasions of England: Anglo Saxons continued to invade, conquer, and settle in England from Germany after the collapse of the Roman Empire. They set up farms and settlements and assimilated with each other.

The role of the warrior: The role of the warrior was not only to fight in battle, but to aid in all facets when it comes to the advancements of the tribes success, while also maintaining his or her followers through wealth, prosperity and power.

War destroys the Peace Needed for Study: it shows how the Romans maintained everything from the medium of written words, such as laws, taxation and engineering. Christianity was based on bible and also requires the level of literacy to read and teach christianity to people.

Farming and Warfare: Essentially, it equates the physical taxation of farming to that of combat, and discusses the risks of farming in a time of pillaging. It asserts that while war is physically demanding, it is also intellectually rigorous as a leader. A skilled tactician will be followed into battle more so than a bloody brutal barbarian. The excerpt asserts that the Saga brings out the aspect of the warrior, but often “hints at” the agricultural daily life of the warriors.

Language and Music:

Sagas were written with the audience in mind, and thus were written in a language that could be easily understood by the audience. Sagas were performed by bards, skilled professionals who were able to memorize and recite long passages in a single sitting.

Sagas were meant as a way of communication so Sagas were written In languages that were understood by people In that time period. They were also intended to be read poetically because this conveyed tone and mood.

Passing Time: Sagas were a long pieces of poetry that helped people bond socially and pass time especially during winters that were dangerous outdoors.

Social Bonding: Sagas often acted as a way of schooling, so the younger audience could learn about the language and history of their people.

The movement of people means the movement of languages:

As Britain was invaded, the native population rapidly lost its language (Celtic) and was replaced by newer Germanic languages which we now call “Old English/Anglo-Saxon”.

Old English lasted until 1066 when there was a final invasion by descendants of earlier invaders of France.

A World of Dark Powers:

1,300 years ago the world was dark and ominous. There was danger everywhere, from monsters to malicious spirits, to the unpredictable powers like fate and chance that made being alive a punishment.

In Norse sagas heroes like Beowulf are needed to bring their people to safety from the darkness. The sagas also have a element of horror, demonstrated by Grendel, who shows the weakness of humans using Death. The excitement of Norse sagas allowed them to be passed down by monks.

What is a traditional ? What is a traditional ?

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** Why do we need extremes like 'heros' and 'villians'/'monsters' in our? What purposes might these archetypes serve, both in a literary and psychological sense? ** Ultimately, heroes were made to represent us. However, they do not define who we are, but who we aspire to be. We define our principles by the superheroes we create, and in turn, such principles define us. They are the symbol of all the qualities (such as honour and bravery) we would like to have. And to showcase all these qualities we want to possess, we create an antithesis who goes against all our ideals. These archetypes also raise our every changing morale and are always solving conflicts, giving us a sense of comfort that no matter how much evil exists, it will be conquered. (JiSup)

Although most superhero movies are obviously unreal, we still need extremes like heroes and villains in our lives because not only do they provide entertainment, but they also teach us a lesson. Psychologically, they remind us that our society is not perfect, that there are "villains", and we need "heroes" to improve it, and that during times of trouble, there will always be a solution. Many people have a specific person in their lives that provides them with advice and aspiration, people they call their "heroes" or "role models". Thus, heroes also provide us with a sense of hope. In a literary sense, it marks as a milestone of when literature was no longer only based on real life, but based on imagination. Ever since superhero stories, science-fiction literature has expanded, ranging from novels that include fighting zombies to time traveling. (Phoebe)

We need heroes and villains in our lives because they are able to show both the good and the bad in society. In a psychological sense, they are able to give us motivation, for example, the hero is able to be a role model to us, showing us what is the right thing to do, whereas, the villain shows us the dark sides of things, where nothing is ever perfect. In a literacy sense, having characters that are heroes and villains are able to teach us a lesson, and gain entertainment from reading. With the start of super hero stories, it began to revolutionized science-fiction literature, and start to reach a wider range of audience. Before, super hero were mainly aimed to entertain kids. But nowadays, stories have implemented deeper meanings to the stories that kids may not understand, thus making adults part of their audience. (Henry)

It is pretty broad to define why we need 'heroes' and 'villains.' However, I would say we mainly need them for the inspiration and the entertainment. Most of the hero movies include an act of hero saving the world or showing the moral codes through keeping the justice. For example, heroes save the hostages or an endangered woman. The stereotypical heroes are always there to do the right things. By viewing their actions, we, the audiences, learn and realize that the actions that are committed from the heroes are the ones that get accepted in the society. In the other side, the villains do the exact opposite. Their main goal is to destruct the peace of the world, to kill and slaughter, and to rule the world with their own moral codes, which are savagery and barbaric. Some villains are humble and kind, although the people never know what's behind the mask of them. The villains in the story tell the audiences to not do such actions that the villains are doing. Although, the heroes and villains can simply just be for entertainment of where heroes beat the crap out of villains. However, these days, audiences can predict the ending of each movies. Therefore, we do need some fresh new and plot twisting heroes and villains in this modern world. (Jimmy Park)

When we think of kings we think of words like powerful, brave and generous. But do all kings fit into are preconceived idea of the word "king"? do all kings posses these characteristics? do they all have their peoples best interest in mind? Lines 1-18 of the literary piece Beowulf makes us question the motives of kings. For the audience during this time period the purpose of this passage was to both give a description of a character and to show the importance of a King during this time period but when someone from a modern audience reads this passage we interpret it quite differently. When the reader takes a first glance at this passage it seems like the author is describing the king positively that he's powerful and brave the author also tries to emphasize this kings generosity. For example he "opened out his treasure- full hands" This could have two meanings. One being that he is sharing his wealth with his people and the other being he's boasting and bragging about his wealth and power to his people so they don't try to go against him. In this passage the author also explains that in battles the king fought as fairly as he could. That he defeated other armies "but leaving the common pastures untouched" Basically the king kills thousands of soldiers but since he doesn't kill the farmers and townspeople this is suppose to make him a good person. The author also portrays the king as arrogant "Band and reach higher toward Heaven then anything that had ever been known to the sons of men" Here he is seen comparing himself to god.While the audience of the time period where beowulf was written see this description of a king to be positive, people of a modern audience can see the hidden meanings behind the text. A tone and a mood of a passage can drastically change depending on which audience the passage is directed to. (Gaby)

Almost every fiction story contains some element of a conflict or disagreement between heroes and villains, protagonists and antagonists. Somewhere along the way, the line between the two may even be blurred. The reason this interaction is so common to the genre is quite simple; it’s meant to make one connect with the book on a deeper level. In a literary sense, the conflict is typically accompanied by a backstory for each party, an idea of the time period/setting, and often a hidden “twist” to keep things fresh. These are meant to develop interest in individual story elements, and create a focused purpose for the climax. Otherwise, the climax at the top of the “story mountain” might end up looking more like a valley. While the literary advantages of such an interaction are obvious, the reason it’s so successful has more to do with the psyche of the audience. Whether it’s the protagonist or the antagonist, they allow for connection. There’s a certain feeling when against all odds, the hero succeeds at his goal. There’s a small feeling of sorrow for the villain because of their rough childhood or tragic insanity story. There’s often a desire to be a part of that world, a desire to feel the same power as the hero. The amount of emotion that one can invest in such an adventure is boundless, limited only by the imagination. That connection is only the tip of the branches when it comes to such a deeply rooted archetype. The relationship between audience and hero allows for immersion, thrusting oneself into the story, not just the setting. Whether it’s a character in the adventure or the omniscient third party gazing down, it creates a sublime experience for the mind. This is the most important aspect of the genre, and a massive reason why such a stereotypical conflict has lasted for so long. While reality is often second-rate, there’s nothing more satisfying than losing oneself in a new world. (Chris)

We need heroes and villains/monsters in our lives because they represent what is good and what is bad respectively. Fundamentally, as humans we have been ‘embedded’ to differentiate between the good and the bad, and hence along with that comes the representations of both in literature, art, and any other application of creativity. Whether it is the ancient epics of Homer or the modern day superhero movies, the idea of good and bad can be seen everywhere. If you think about it, most religion are also based on the idea of good and bad (e.g. Shiva is the destroyer of all evil while Vishnu is the preserver of all good in Hinduism), so we could even consider some deities heroes and villains. Especially with religion, I suppose what this implies is that heroes and villains help us distinguish between the good and bad. They act as a guide, a role model and a compass to our morality. Beowulf was a hero who stopped the evil Grendel from harassing the king Hrothgar and his castle/hall (if I remember correctly); we identify with and want to become the brave and helping Beowulf, not Grendel. (Alan)

We need extremes like ‘heroes’ and ‘villains’ in our lives because they represent our society where good and bad are existed and good people try to protect or change our lives better against bad people. Heroes and villains are just exaggerated forms of good and bad. In psychological sense, people have a tendency to have a role model from people who can provide advice and courage to others. A lot of young children want to idolize heroes, such as their bravery and self-sacrifice etc. Also, they learn from villains from their wrong behaviors and children try not to do behaviors that cause harmful to our society. In a literary sense, although stories about heroes and villains are not realistic, people are able to get some lessons and entertain themselves from reading those stories. Also, fictional stories about heroes and villains can provide the diversity of the literature (Joowon)

A reason why we need heroes and villains are because they are projections of our hope and desire for justice and good. Our society is nowhere close to perfect, and at some point we all learn that unfair things do happen. The hero, however, is traditionally fair and just, so they represent a hope or desire for a perfect justice our society lacks today. Villains, then, remind us of the bad in the world, and sometimes even serve as warnings or reminders that we should try and stay as far away from the characteristics of the villain as we can. Also, you can't have a hero without a villain and vice versa - who's going to fight the other? Furthermore, heroes and villains serve as simplifications of the complex individuals in our society; no one is purely bad or purely good, but the traditional hero is almost always and completely good whilst the villain is "incurably evil". This simplification makes it much easier to teach children values of good and evil, and since children are always looking for a role model, or idol, the hero will represent the values and characteristics children can aspire to. Also, even as adolescents or adults, we sometimes need a good hero/villain story to remind us of the good that could exist. It's also because of this that many hero/villain stories produced nowadays have much more complicated heroes and villains; the hero may not be as perfect as he seems, and the villain may just be "lost". Jaded as we may sometimes be, everyone still wants to believe that our society is, or can be perfectly just, and people is, or can be perfectly good. (Michelle)

In a psychological sense we need extremes like heroes and villains because they serve as a moral compass. I remember learning about child development in psychology and I learnt that kids from the age of 5-12 are going through an internal struggle and are trying to figure out what things are praised in society and what things are shamed upon. A lot of kids have difficulties differentiating between what makes you a good person or a bad person. So movies with Heroes and Villains teach them morals. They also portray heroes as attractive, strong, brave characters so kids look up to them as role models. While villains are portrayed with undesirable characteristics like being ugly and lonely. So kids learn that being a villain is not accepted in society. In a literary sense we need Heros and villains because it causes conflict. In all stories there has to be some conflict or struggle between characters because if their wasn't conflict the plot wouldn't be interesting and no lesson would be learned. I think its interesting that in kids movies the outcome is usually always the same the hero wins and the villain loses but as you start to grow up and you are exposed to things that are directed at adults you soon realize that the difference between "good" and "evil" isn't so black and white. (Gaby)

Human beings are unlike any other organism on this planet and this distinctness can be attributed to their organizational abilities and tendencies. Mitch Albom once said in his novel The Timekeeper, that man alone measures time and man alone suffers a fear of time running out. This holds true because other animate objects seem to rely heavily on their natural instincts instead of measurements of time. Humans get a sense satisfaction and security from categorizing things and this is why heroes and villains exist. They do not necessarily need heroes and villains, but want heroes and villains for a sense of comfort and stability. In essence, this is why heroes and villains have such opposing traits. Heroes are classified with every single positive characteristic whereas villains are classified with all the negative traits. The existence of heroes and villains is extremely polarizing and creates individual opinions. This is the main purpose of the archetypes behind heroes and villains. Since heroes win in nearly all stories, this gives humans a source of psychological comfort and room for thought. (Steven)

The human species is flawed. It has always been flawed and will continue to progress into states that become more and more unbelievable. Examples of this in our modern world are the Paris attacks, or the refugee crisis. Even the most minuscule crimes go unnoticed, like how we are all sitting here with our laptops worth thousands, where that money could go to feeding a child who is dying of starvation this very minute. Ultimately, we are all villains in a way. We turn a blind eye to whats wrong with the world and selfishly try to invent characteristics that are right and that we identify with. Our need to feel righteous in a time where all we do is hurt is why we need heroes and villains. Heroes have been invented as characters that we identify with whereas villains are characters whose traits are less similar. In a way, although heroes are roll models for a better world, they are just a reassurance that we are good people. They simply cover the mess that the human race is becoming- like when you push all of the clutter under your bed when you are tidying up. (HAILEY)

Apart from being the subject of many entertainments produced today, heroes and monsters/villains have had enormous impact on our society. We need heroes in our lives because not only do they repeatedly reassure us that good will always win, but they also serve as great examples for children undergoing key developmental stages. From a psychological aspect, when we see the positive response from the other characters toward the hero, we would ultimately like to embody those ‘heroic’ characteristics to feel liked and accepted in the society. On the other hand, when we see the negative response from the other characters toward the villain, we are repelled from developing the same characteristics in order to feel included in the community. From a literary aspect, labeling a character as a hero or a villain is like a short cut for authors when introducing their characters, however, many authors do attribute many unique characteristics to their protagonist or antagonist to make them more dynamic and relatable. (Amy)

Villains serve as a reminder to treat others well. Most villains start out normal, even good, but because of the society and environment around them, it puts them on a different path. Whatever negative effects they have felt from the people around them shapes them to be a villain, and therefore, villains become a warning to us about the potential consequences our actions have toward others. On the other hand, heroes exist to fulfil what we cannot do. Heroes may seem unrealistic—they never die, they take care of everyone, etc. Their actions are beyond what we normal human beings can hope to achieve. However, it is precisely this quality of heroes that allows them to take on roles and commit deeds that satisfy our innate desire to help, while also inspiring us to do better. Therefore, heroes and villains both serve to promote positive action amongst us. (Nicole)

True heroes and villains are not realistic. In the material world, there isn’t such a clear-cut difference between characters. Because even the most upstanding citizen will have his moments of weakness, heroes and villains aren’t meant to simulate real people. Rather, these archetypes are symbols of both good and evil in their entirety, and in literature, they inevitably collide. Thus, the far reaching conflict between good and evil can be simplified into a simple physical struggle between two characters. Besides this, heroes can act as role models for readers. They can be perfect where real people might fail, and this gives us something to aim for. Even if we do not succeed in reaching this lofty target, we still move in the right direction. On the other hand, villains serve as the opposite. They personify what we as a species intend to seek out, reduce, and—ideally—destroy. This goal is similarly impossible, but it also similarly productive. (Jason K)

Extremes like heroes and villains/monsters are necessary in our lives because they help us define what is right and what is wrong. These examples of all-encompassing good and all-encompassing evil allow children to understand what should and shouldn't be done as they grow up, and make them strive to become the ideal hero, even though they may never reach that point. Humans are creatures who walk between those extremes, but by defining the limit on both sides, it’s easier to see where we can fall on the spectrum. A million isn’t a large number compared to infinity, or a limitless boundary, but when given an end, it’s much easier to see the differences, which is what these extremes do, both for literature and for ourselves. (Anita)

Heros and Villains are on the opposite side of the spectrum, one represents the “light” and the other represents the “dark”. The when the two components combine, it becomes a whole, which is the plot of the story. As a child, it is easy to see things in black and white. The hero represents justice and virtue, while the Villan is just plain evil and monstrous. Every time when evil runs amok, the hero, with maybe some TINY flaws, will always overcome the odds and triumph. Nothing feels more satisfying watching the “LIGHT” beat the “DARKNESS” However, this formula seems to get less and less popular as time goes on. Today, we find the plain “Good versus Evil” as cliché. To spice of the characters, the lines of good and evil becomes more and more ambiguous. Sometimes, we can find the hero extremely grating to the nerve. We can also sympathize more with the villains. To be honest instead with the pure good versus the bad, the blurred lines between the two roles can make the plot of the story much more intriguing. The blurring of lines also reflects reality, which nothing is absolutely perfect or terrible. Being only able to see the “Good” and “Bad” maybe a comfortable stability for one to have, knowing that there is one “correct” answer. But the real world is not that easy, you can face a problem and never be able to find the “best solution” with no consequences, and the blurring lines of good and bad truly shows that. (Nicholas)

Ever since I can remember there has always been Heroes and who go up some kind of evil and go up against their own personal revenge seeking,power thriving Villain who will plot to destroy the Hero. And yes at first the Villains plan sounds pretty convincing and you start to wonder how ever will the Hero win? Well it doesn't matter what they do to the Villain most likely no matter what one thing is for sure the Hero always wins and the Villain always loses. And this is how it has been for centuries the same charter just the different story. Just think if there where no Heroes in life? no one who you though was just amazing, no one you looked up to? Then the world would be very different place, and with out that strong contrast of good vs evil that the Hero and the Villains' have then it would be harder for people to clearly see what is the right thing to do vs what the wrong thing to do. And thats the reason why we need thees extremes in our world because it gives people a certain standard to live up to. Even today a lot of the literature and films that are made today are based off of heroes and Villains and have to do with good vs evil. For example the movies today that have thees types of extremes are Hunger games, Frozen,Avengers ect.. the list goes on and if we didn't have Heroes and Villains than non of thees movies would exist. Crazy right??(MADISON)

We need heroes and villains to represent a sense of justice and evil in the world. They define what is the ideal and what is wrong. In terms of literature creating heroes reassure us that the righteousness will always prevail. They serve as a role model for how we should conduct ourselves. Very often the hero has gone through relatively tough obstacle in their past and developed from a uninformed individual to a mature competent being. They’re often human too and like we discussed in class have names ending in the word “man” such as “superman”, “batman”, “spiderman”, etc. These characters feel relatable and admirable through their stories and inspired us to fend for justice. On the other hand, villains have backstories that for a second have our sympathy. They are often half human and make it their goal to take over the world. Villains are reminders of malice while heroes give us hope in times of turmoil and serve as a guiding light to the right path. (Carolyn choco cake)

We as the human race have achieved great amazing things, and we have had heroes of many different shapes and sizes. Heroes can come in the form of a brave man or woman who fights for their respective country while risking his or her life, which can be exemplified by Alvin York. He was a man known as the civilian soldier, who has been placed on a heroic platform due to his bravery during World War 1, when we was lodged in a situation that saw him almost certainly dead, yet he escaped alive despite the odds of facing six German soldiers when the entirety of his team had already been killed. Or even a person who thrives in sports to the point where this certain persons achievements are referred to as impossible and immortal yet they remain in the history books, much like Wilt Chamberlain and his 100 point basketball game. Why do we place these people on such high pedestals to the extent that we do not really see them as human beings anymore? Its simply because we all have power fantasies that see us achieving great things that others never saw being possible, and for us as fans and followers of these heroes, we are able to live these dreams vicariously through them. We as a species actually feel the need for a hero to the point in which we look to religion, where we have figures and gods that are said to be flawless versions of life that can control what happens to us. We use these types of heroes to explain all happenings on earth. We also go to the extent of creating our own heroes which we spend money to watch their made up stories. The creators of the movie Superman Man of Steel made $113 million dollars during just the first weekend after the movies release. Having these superhuman characters such as superman allows us to see alternatives to the way we live that are so out of reach and unrealistic, yet thats why we love them, we always look at these heroes with a ‘what if’ attitude that keeps us wanting more. yet, the villain is arguably more important than the hero. We love to watch these movies that feature a hero with no obvious flaw with the exception of usually one or two that allow the story to be somewhat more believable, and a villain that is just made of pure evil, and we wait for 2 hours just to see what we all know is going to ultimately happen. The villain does not get what he wants. Why is it that we always have it end the same way? This is due to the fact that nobody wants to see their idol be defeated by someone who epitomizes everything we do not want to be as people with morals. We use heroes to dream, and the villain allows these heroes to become who and what they are, which is greater than just being a person. (Ben)

The relationship created between good and bad by heroes and villains simplify situations. The dichotomy of this relationship helps simplify scenarios and children's decision making. Instead of analyzing the entire situation, they simply have to do what they feel is right. The morals that heroes and villains instill in children aids them in deciding what is right or wrong, and they simply choose to do one of two things. To ensure they don't decide to do the wrong thing, villains are often depicted as vile and grotesque. People then associate doing the wrong thing with being a hideous monster. Using heroes and villains, Society has managed to limit people's decisions, as well as scare morals into numerous generations. (Max)

Heroes and villains, they are complements of each other. Heroes are the embodiment of what we define as good, while villains are what we define as bad. They set a standard for the two qualities. From the beginning, we’re taught to be good people. To understand how to become good people, heroes and villains are used as guidelines that show us what qualities fall in the category of good and bad. It creates a psychological effect. Heroes and villains, like Superman and Doomsday, represent extremes of a good and a bad person. We assume the good ones and reject the bad ones. In a literary sense, heroes and villains create a conflict, a purpose for the story to be told. They are contrasted to clearly show the difference between good and bad. By the end of the story, heroes usually become the victor. It conveys the message that the good always triumphs the bad. While, heroes mainly serve the purpose of being the epitome of good, they are often also used to show that everyone has a weakness. As good as superheroes are, they are not perfect. No one is. Even they’re striving to become better. Their efforts of doing good motivate people to do the same. Villains are sometimes portrayed as the results of tragic pasts, which show how if everyone was good, there would be a lot less villains out there. In some stories, those that we usually see as superheroes become bad, while those that are bad become good. This creates the message that anyone could be good or bad. It all depends on how you act and it’s your choice. (Jeffrey Wu)

In terms of literature, archetypes are the stereotypical characters, and actions or situations which represent the universal patterns of human nature, which resonate with the readers unconsciously. Archetypes such as hero, and villain exist in almost all social and cultural context.Therefore, by implementing archetypical characters or elements authors are really able to create a universal sense (or image) which can be accepted by wider range of readers. Psychologically, archetypical characters like hers and villains represent what is most commonly praised, or repelled moral standards. Hence, archetypes often serves as a role model or a symbolic figure people emulate. (Catherine cui)

For centuries humans have made stories about hero and villain. Hero has been always depicted as muscular, having good ethics, and brave. These are characteristics that people have desired to have and the ideal qualities to have throughout the century. However, villain has always been portrayed as being contorted view about the world, selfish, and cowardly. These aspects have always been looked down upon and the norms have criticized people who had these qualities. Hero and villain are models who we should and should not be. We still need hero since they portray the ideal role model we should strive to become. We also still need villain so that we know who we should not become. Hero and villain has become a traditional theme in literatures. (Luke Lim)

We are used to seeing the typical story of the hero and the villain. We are so involved with them, that they are part of our daily life. When haven't we dreamed of our own personal hero to come and sweep us of our feet, or even being that hero capable of saving the world. These stories are here to entertain us, but also to show us that there is still hope out there. Even in the movies, when things are going horrible wrong, we all know deep down that the hero is going to make an appearance and save the world. At least for me, heroes make me hopeful that things do work out. Heroes and villains represent the good and bad in society, and puts it into a perspective that is able to be understood by all ages. What I found interesting, is that the villain may start out as the hero. I believe that this shows the potential in all of us. We either overcome a situation that puts you into a position to turn into a villain, or we turn into the villain. (Cande)

We have heroes and villains because part of what makes us human is our belief in an ultimate good and ultimate evil. It is similar to why many people search for comfort in an all-knowing God or gods. I have the advantage of already reading “A Brave New World” (a book I believe we will be reading later). In this book the entire population is in a drugged (taking soma) and somewhat brainwashed state. Without the option or ability to feel complete sadness they are unable to experience the true joy in life. For the same reasons, we feel the need to perpetuate the idea of the perfect villain, which can be overcome by the perfect hero. (This edit added later: I found this quote that applies to what I discuss: “the deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.” In the same sense, the damage from evil simply paves a way for the good in people to come out and for hidden heroes in our society to rise to the challenge.) (Anna)

Since a young age children have been watching and reading comics or shows that purposely show that there is merit to having good morals. The story between a hero and a villain has been the most classic story since the beginning of writing, and they clearly show how being a good person will reward you. Heroes are the creation of what people aspire and see as the most ideal person. They have good morals and are really popular, so people thrive to become like the hero. In the literary sense, a story wouldn't be interesting if there is no conflict in the story, so a villain was created. However, the villain isn't created just to make the story more interesting, but rather they were created to help show the clear contrast between the villain and the hero. This contrast makes it clear what is the right thing to do and the wrong thing to do. Most importantly, heroes bring a great amount of hope to people due to there always being a hero to rescue you. A unique example of a hero that brings hope would be Batman. Because Batman is a normal human just like us, he brings hope to the people who want to aspire to be a hero. (Eric)


 * HOMEWORK FOR CLASS FOUR CAN BE POSTED HERE: ANSWER THE QUESTION BELOW **

What were the purposes of this section of Beowulf (LINES 1-18) for the audience of its time? How does the effect differ (or does it) for modern audiences? They never tell you about death as a kid. When my brother and I picked up our plastic swords and went to “war” we were ignorant to the truth of what it meant for one of us to win. Each jab, each slash, each step forward was glorified in the eyes of the victor, outshining the suffering of those who paid for their defeat. Reading through the first 18 lines of ‘Beowulf,” we see the same theme. In his rise to power, Hrothgar thinks of his own greatness and in his thoughts he becomes blind to growing dangers nearby. For modern audiences, the cadence of leaders taking and losing the throne is familiar enough that it seems inevitable that Hrothgar’s time would soon come to an end. Unaware of his fate, Hrothgar feasts in his castle, demonstrating what Thomas Gray said so many years ago: “Ignorance is bliss.” (Anna) When we think of kings we think of words like powerful, brave and generous. But do all kings fit into are preconceived idea of the word "king"? do all kings posses these characteristics? do they all have their peoples best interest in mind? Lines 1-18 of the literary piece Beowulf makes us question the motives of kings. For the audience during this time period the purpose of this passage was to both give a description of a character and to show the importance of a King during this time period but when someone from a modern audience reads this passage we interpret it quite differently. When the reader takes a first glance at this passage it seems like the author is describing the king positively that he's powerful and brave the author also tries to emphasize this kings generosity. For example he "opened out his treasure- full hands" This could have two meanings. One being that he is sharing his wealth with his people and the other being he's boasting and bragging about his wealth and power to his people so they don't try to go against him. In this passage the author also explains that in battles the king fought as fairly as he could. That he defeated other armies "but leaving the common pastures untouched" Basically the king kills thousands of soldiers but since he doesn't kill the farmers and townspeople this is suppose to make him a good person. The author also portrays the king as arrogant "Band and reach higher toward Heaven then anything that had ever been known to the sons of men" Here he is seen comparing himself to god.While the audience of the time period where beowulf was written see this description of a king to be positive, people of a modern audience can see the hidden meanings behind the text. A tone and a mood of a passage can drastically change depending on which audience the passage is directed to. (Gaby) Upon first glance of the first 18 lines of Beowulf, everything seemed peaceful. Everything was going the way that the king wanted it to go. However, after digging deeper into the text, and looking at the verbs, specifically, I realized that maybe the first 18 lines are just a thought process of the king, or goals that the king want to accomplish.With the verbs being in past tense, it made the future very unclear for the future, but because of all the Hollywood movies I’ve seen, and books I’ve read, it is a very clear foreshadow that there is a disaster in the upcoming lines. (Henry)

Similarly to text and other forms of entertainment today, the beginning lines of Beowulf serve to 'set the stage'. If you reflect upon any stereotypical movie trailer or even the beginning of a movie, you hear a voice saying "Once upon a time, there lived a king and a queen. Their kingdom was happy and their people showered their rulers with admiration!!!!!!" The color contrast is emphasized until a dark cloud blows over turning the images that were once colorful and happy into black, white and green. The once happy narrator now speaks of the challenge that the whole movie is formed around. The beginning of Beowulf is similar to this form of 'set up' in that it seems happy and conflict-less. HOWEVER here is how Beowulf differs from our modern entertainment and audiences: The text feels flawed. In the scenario that I just depicted, I only imagined/described positive things. There were no holes for negativity to seep its way into. Differently, Beowulf uses language with more negative connotations, hinting to the reader or listener that the seemingly positive tone is soon to change (which it does). To more directly answer the question: The purpose of this section of Beowulf, just like the purpose of the beginning of movies today, serves to establish a tone and setting. Moreover, it differs from the "hero story" in that the beginning isn't all color saturation and selflessness. (HAILEY)

Beowulf’s first 18 lines serve to illustrate the background and history prior to the conflict. In the literal sense, the reader learns how the hall of Herot came to be and Hrothgar’s previous successes, and in this sense, I believe that its effect on modern audiences has changed quite a bit. We no longer live in a time where battles and death occur often or even in a time where the monarchy is a large part of our lives. Relevant history side note: halls were very common with Anglo Saxon invaders, but we nowadays have no idea how these people lived in them. Therefore, due to historical and context differences, a naturally different effect is that Beowulf would feel less relatable to modern readers literally. However, in a deeper sense, many ideas that spring from the first 18 lines should not affect readers from no matter which era. As we’ve analyzed, there are interesting literary techniques such as the repeated use of ‘and' in the first few lines to subtly indicate Hrothgar’s arrogance or the use of the word ’swelling’ to associate with the young men’s passion. These kinds of details will withstand the test of time because these qualities are fundamental human traits no matter during which era. Ironically, the deeper meanings behind the first 18 lines are more basic and relatable, hence easier for us to understand as humans. (Alan)

In eleven hundred years, little has changed. At the turn of the second millennium, the first eighteen lines of the epic poem Beowulf served to introduce the great king Hrothgar and foreshadow his fate, and the same is true today. It describes the scale of his feats and the loyalty of his followers. But, after years of conditioning, most modern readers would quickly recognize a situation that is too good to be true. Karmic justice has long been a theme of literature, and has led to the creation of instincts among readers—instincts that anticipate a dark future for the leader of the Danes. For, though he is a fair king, as is demonstrated when he “divide[s] the spoils of their victories” (lines 8-9), “leav[es] the common pastures untouched, and tak[es] no lives” (lines 10-11), he is also an arrogant one. He thinks first “of greatness” (line 4), not the well being of his people. His people prosper because of his ability, not his dedication, and skill alone is not what makes a hero. In Old English, the same concept was made clear to the audience of the poem. Hrothgar flies too close to the sun, and one day he will fall. (Jason)

Beowulf’s first 18 lines were like from a Greek tragedy; these lines are used to describe what Hrathgor, the king of Dane has achieved. I believe that modern audiences will have a different interpretation when reading this poem compared to those who live in the past. To a modern eye, reading this is like enjoying an archaic fantasy themed story, where everything seem grand and a little…. Too dramatic. The whole 1-18 line has made Hrathgor sound extremely arrogant, where things always go perfect for him. However, if we gave this poem to someone that lives in that period, they might find it perfectly believable. Our life style has became extremely different from the past; gone were the days of praising the monarchy and facing the life of constantly fearing of being attacked or going to war. But with the knowledge of history, we may not feel what people in the past has felt reading the poem, with knowledge, however, we can draw out the same conclusion from people in different eras. (Nicholas)

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The first 18 lines of Beowulf mentions the how Hrothgar led the Danes to success by his battle skills. It goes on to describe his achievements and rewards such as building a hall that would “reach higher towards Heaven”. Hrothgar would also be an equal and kind ruler by dividing up his fortune and leaving civilians unharmed. These first lines establish a background before the battle to begin and let the reader know who Hrothgar was. To the audience of that time Beowulf would be relatable since it was written sometime between the 8th to 11th century of the Anglo Saxon time period. To them the story is more realistic and easier to believe than to a modern reader who has no experience in battle and was not alive during this time period. The language of Beowulf is also written differently compared to modern english. Therefore, the modern audience can appreciate it for its use of language and fantastical story. (Carolyn) ======

The first (1-18) section of Beowulf was to show the perfectness of Hrothgar for the audience of its time. From explanation of his achievements and his philanthropic attitude, most people in that era showed the reverence to Hrothgar who led the Danes to success to save people from enemies and easily believed the poem. People during this era might participate the war or have experience to live with numerous wars. Showing the success of Hrothgar and his achievements might be stabilized people’s feeling (fear, nervous). When I read this section of Beowulf from the perspective of the modern audience, I just recalled one quote that history always favors the winners. As we see in this poem, a winner is Hrothgar. The poem is centralized to excessively praise Hrothgar with exaggerations. Modern people may think that he is very arrogant and this poem is not realistic to modern people’s views due to no experience about the war and completely different lifestyles. (Joowon)

He sounds really powerful and generous the in the first 18 line.The poem starts with no negative commons. I just simply found this poem is talking about a king who is strong, and doesn't hesitate to share what he has when I first read it. However, the more times I go over it the more I realised that there are actually something behind the positive. For people who lived in that period probably will just believe what is written in the poem and be respectful to Hrothgar. By looking at the story itself, the writer put the king in the highest place in all kind of ways which no one can get to gain their reputation. Since we are in such a different world now and back then, there’s no such a way for me to easily believe in this as one of a modern audiences.

Free gift-card at Starbucks. Congratulations on winning an $100 prize. Refund of $50 due to a clerical error. Upon seeing these in your inbox, you would probably dismiss them as spam; too good to be true. Strife, war, and pain are noticeably absent in the first eighteen lines of Beowulf, and this creates a sense of oddness. The audience can tell that the praise is too much, the struggle too short, and the story too strange to end there. At the time Beowulf was thought to be told, this opening might have caused the audience to pay close attention to the rest of the tale, and ignore their other discomforts. It draws attention and has people on the edge of their seats to determine what exactly is wrong and what might happen next. To a modern audience, this effect hasn’t changed, although the purpose it serves is different due to current luxuries. (Anita)

What does it mean for a piece of literature to have purpose? Meaning “The reason for which something is done or created”, the word purpose can go many ways when it comes to literature due to its creative nature. Something can be written to get the readers engaged or to contribute to the plot. When it comes to Beowulf, although it is a story that is a millennium old, the purpose still seems as convoluted as the stories written now. But reflecting back on the question “Why do we need heroes and villains?”, the purpose of Beowulf seems to clear up a bit. The purpose of the beginning lines of Beowulf is identical to any other story that includes a hero and a villain. The first 18 lines provide context which brings the audience into the story gradually. Due to this, the effect of the first 18 lines of Beowulf on modern audiences is quite different compared to the effect it must have had on the audiences during that time. For example, modern audiences do not live in a time period where war is commonplace and beneficial. The word comrade also has a different emotional attachment now as it directs to the Soviet Union. But the purpose of the first 18 lines seems to bring the modern and past audiences together. (Steven)

After reading summaries and prefaces of Beowulf in a desperate attempt to get a grip on the plot, I expected some serious blood and violence to kick it off. Despite my belief and expectation, I was confronted with a background story at the start of the poem. Exploring the strength and power of Hrothgar who seems to express generosity and care towards others. There is so much positive energy coming off of the first 18 lines of the poem which causes me to question the turn it may perhaps be approaching. This beginning is set up in order to juxtapose what is inevitable, the downfall of the so called perfect society that has been laid out for us. (Ben)

A hall erected in honor of a mighty king, reaching towards the heavens. Armies swarm to swear beneath his sword, his people revel in success and bathe in the spoils of war. Hrothgar, upon his throne, allows them to overtake the pastures of conquered lands, and spares those innocent lives within. While these may seem like actions of positive connotation, in reality there is a sense of arrogance, that he considers himself a higher power. He "boasts" of his triumphs and his word is "obeyed". The effect certainly differs by time period, and by experience. In the past, where such an understanding was common, people may have seen this passage as the normal actions of a successful king. In modern times, however, history has told us that the subtle arrogance of kings typically leads to their undoing. This is the beginning of the end for our king, and these lines lay that foundation. (Chris)

Hrothgar ruled a Kingdom built on the ruins of battle; no doubt there were sons lost, infrastructure destroyed, and mothers and children abandoned to accept their lonely fate. The audience is not told of this reality, they are only told of the greatness and honor this King beholds. By paper, he was known to ‘divide the spoils of their victories’, and ‘leaving the common pastures untouched’. Perhaps 1,300 years ago Hrothgar only needed to follow the duties of a King, however, today a King needs to be relatable to be liked by their people. As a modern audience, Hrothgar appears to be slightly arrogant, mostly when he ‘thought of greatness’, ‘boast[ed]’, and the people ‘obeyed’, he sounds more like a tyrannical ruler than an honorable King. The purpose of these 18 lines is to set him up for the fall. For the audience back then do not have the benefit of history, the effect would’ve been much greater. Nowadays, we can immediately notice the unfortunate cliché in this introduction, Hrothgar is bound to fall. (Amy)

There is a famous quote that says “Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many;..”by a man name Phaedrus now I have to admit that I'm not entirely sure who Phaedrus is, or how he came up for this exact saying, but I do think that he is exactly right when he says that things are not all ways what they seem because that is exactly that came to my mind when I started reading the begging of Beowulf. The story starts off by telling the readers a story about this amazing king who was loved by everyone who was generous to his people and had a lot of glory and fame in his kingdom. At first glance he this sounds like a great king but as I keep reading there seemed to be a transition that made the king sound as though he was overconfident and saw him self as a god. This is what I meant when I said things are not always as they seem, and I feel like this poem is trying to hint to people that just because something seems great on the outside doesn't mean that it always is and I do feel that this is something that today's audiences can also take way from the first 18 opening lines of Beowulf .(MADISON)

No matter when in time, a gun always foreshadows death, a storm always foreshadows conflict, excessive pride always foreshadows downfall. Overall, the first 18 lines of Beowulf appear to be too happy and peaceful. However, upon analyzing the 18 lines more carefully, many foreshadowing clues can be found. Personally, the last line in the poem ("opened out his treasure-full hands) was what really made me realize that Hrothgar will not be so proud for much longer. The adjective "treasure-full" acts as a warning sign that his treasures are soon going to be stolen away. There were also many more warning signs. For example, everything is only in Hrothgar's thoughts, and all the verbs are in past tense, meaning that the future is unknown. Therefore, although Beowulf was written over a thousand years ago, the primary purpose of the opening 18 lines has not changed, to foreshadow the upcoming disaster in Herot. (Phoebe)

When read carelessly, one might think that the king Hrothgar is a generous and a humble king. However, the overly decorative description of Hrothgar will leave the reader uncomfortable. Usually, a character that is portrayed generous and all giving in the beginning usually meets some kind of downfall. This plot can be accurately predicted when first 18 line of Beowulf is read carefully. The word choice such as boast, ordered, obeyed, and commanded suggests the idea that Hrothgar is a tyrant and that he must be obeyed. Also the sentence, “To build a hall that would hold his mighty Band and reach higher toward Heaven than anything That had been known to the sons of men,” which compares Hrothgar to a god further demonstrates Hrothgar’s arrogance. Using a unique word choice, and comparison, the first 18 lines of Beowulf foreshadows a disaster that is about to happen. The first 18 lines would have almost the same effect to both the modern audience and the audience at the time when written. The only difference is that the modern audience would find leaving the common pastures untouched and not killing anyone, as normal, but the audience at the time would find this action unmanly. (Luke Lim)

I believe the main purpose was to help readers picture the setting of "Beowulf." The introduction emboldened the figurative image of King Hrothgar with powerful and macho. "As he'd wanted, and then he whose word was obeyed All over the Earth named it Herot," describes his absolute power. Of all the victories that King Hrothgar earned, it costed much blood to be spelt. Based on the line 1~18, it seems like he now is described as the benign leader. However, looking at the words such as, "obey," and "boast" that the lines contain, the story does emphasize about Hrothgar's personality and his current position. it also opens up the story for readers to predict about the king's new path. If i have to compare this introduction with modern literature, the only different that I majorly spot is the format of writing. Shady style of writing, which doesn't reveal that much of story's main plot or the main trouble that would lead the story, sets off the perfect starting of novel, "Beowulf." I think modern literature style does appreciate this type of starting lines and it does fit to the modern literature style. As I mentioned in earlier, readers always seek for something new and fresh. An introduction like this would definitely catch readers' attention. (Jimmy)

A long time ago in an era long long ago....

BEOWULF

The inception of Beowulf presents the prior background knowledge that the audience should know. It introduces the great success of Hrothgar and the inception of Herot. Walter Benjamin once said, "History is written by the victors.", and the first 18 lines exemplifies this because the king is described as victorious and altruistic when he opens his treasure-full hands and leaves the common pastures untouched, his loyal followers are depicted as happy citizens, and all is well. Furthermore, t his section affects modern audiences differently than it did for readers back then because we live in a time of peace and it is hard to imagine a era of war and chaos. Furthermore, the descriptions used in this section just reminds me of Lord of the Rings and seems like it could be a great beginning of a dramatic war movie. On the other hand, the archaic use of literary techniques can intrigue modern readers because simply put, nobody writes like this anymore. (JiSup)

Haven’t we always been told that when things are going great in a story, it’s because something bad is going to happen? This is exactly what happens in the first 18 lines of Beowulf. After the first time I read it, I thought everything was peaceful, and that Herot had a perfect King, but after further inspection, I started to realize that this is not in fact true. The diction used by the author when describing the King, words such as “obey”, “ruled”, and “ordered”, lead us to believe that this is not a King they are talking about, but rather if a dictator. By starting the story by pointing out the “greatness” of the kingdom, and how good the King, the author is setting us up for something really bad to occur. Based on this introduction, we can deduce that the Kingdom that he worked so hard on building as we can see on lines 5-7 “To build a hall that would hold his mighty, Band and reach higher toward Heaven than anything, That had ever been known to the sons of men” is somehow going to fall. (Cande)

Society's perception of many things has changed over time. The significance of words in "Beowulf" have diminished. So has the degree to which Hrothgar has been portrayed as a tyrant. To build Hrothgar's hall, he "ordered" work. In the past, if you received an "order" from the king, you obeyed. Nowadays, you can "order" things online. Every day actions that we associate with the word "order" has given it a softer meaning. "Order" is one of many words whose meaning today have lessened the tyrannical personality of Hrothgar shown in "Beowulf." (Max)

Somethings in the world don't change even with time. From the first 18 lines of "Beowulf" there is a clear foreshadow of a conflict. At first glance, the first 18 lines are told in a rhythm and sound entirely positive. However, the poem seems to be told in past tense. Furthermore, there are some characteristics that people are able to analyze about Hrothgar, such as, his god complex. Upon further inspection, the poem portrays the king as a tyrant rather than a great king. The words "greatness", "commanded", "ordered" all make it sound as if Hrothgar is forcing things upon people rather than people wanting to do it for him. These characteristics of Hrothgar will clearly be the traits that will bring Hrothgar's downfall, and both modern day and people of that period would be able to realize this.(Eric)

“Glory”, “Greatness”, “Mighty” - a fitting collection of adjectives to describe an ambitious and merciful king. “Ordered”, “commanded”, “boast” - another collection of adjectives, but fit only for describing a unrelenting and selfish despot. In these first eighteen lines, the poem uses words like ‘glory’ and ‘mighty’ to create an illusion of a perfect king and of perfect peace, and thus we believe Hrothgar to be perfect and his kingdom as perfect as he. However, even before we logically analyse the poem for that second collection of adjectives, our experience and teenage scepticism tells us that this scene is either not as perfect as it seems, or something is about to go horribly wrong. In Beowulf’s case, it’s both. The reason we, as readers who have little, if not no idea as to what a monarchial society is like, still experience the same uneasiness and anticipation as the readers of Beowulf’s time is that the concepts this poem manipulates are perennial. Things described in past tense never exist in the future, and neither a boastful king nor a boastful president is going to lead their ‘people’ to prosperity. Although written for a time long forgotten by those alive today, these eighteen lines still effectively set the story up for the tragedy that is to ensue. (Michelle)

A delusional king's end is coming. Lines 1 to 18 serve as the exposition of the story, focusing on King Hrothgar. At first, Hrothgar appears to be a benevolent and glorious king, a king who'd "divide the spoils of their victories, to old and young what'd they earned in battle, but leaving the common pastures untouched". However, the descriptions of Hrothgar quickly take a turn to those connotative of a dictator. He "built as he wanted," his words were "obeyed," and he "commanded a banquet" so that he could "boast." This contrast evidently shows otherwise of who Hrothgar really is. With the typical conclusion that men like him are unfit to be king, it creates foreshadowing that he will be a cause of a problem that will need to be resolved in this story. In comparison to modern audiences, audiences of the story's time would have a much deeper personal connection to the first 18 lines. Kings and queens are in the past for modern audiences. Wars are a distant thing to many modern readers. Audiences of the time could compare King Hrothgar to kings at the time. Modern audience and audience of the story's time may interpret the king's action differently as well, modern audience seeing the king's mercy as a sign of kindness, whereas audience of the story's time may see it as a sign of weakness. (Jeffrey)

Upon first read, the surface seems peaceful and calm, all the lines are positive. But the peace and calm are not exactly in the right direction, highlighting the fact that the story has just started and there seems to be nothing to be happy about. The feeling of something wrong is through out the first 10 lines specially because sentences such as “To build a hall that would hold his mighty Band and reach higher toward Heaven than anything” because “reaching higher toward heaven than anything” is too ambitious to be right. Then, the king “built as he wanted”, “commanded a banquet”, “made his words obeyed” to “boast”, confirming our thoughts that the king is evil and arrogant. Furthermore, the past tense verbs make reader uncomfortable; not only do these verbs not sounding very positive, but also make the reader doubt about the future. The first 18 lines of the poem clearly described a malevolent king and foreshadow disasters that will happen soon. (Daniel)

To paint the heroic image, the poet set the atmosphere using the opening 18 lines. By describing not only the heroic figure himself, but his accomplishments, power, and righteous characteristics. For instance, verses such “His armies, and he thought of greatness and resolved To build a hall that would hold his mighty…” presents its power, his leadership. Other than that, verses like “In battle, but leaving the common pastures Untouched, and taking no lives”, demonstrated his upright, humane characteristics. Moreover, the hero’s characteristics was further perfected with the element of sacredness, through verses such as “Band and reach higher toward Heaven than anything That had ever been known to the sons of men.”.To people of that era, who struggle with survival issues on a daily, monthly, annually basis, these character really responds to their most fundamental hopes and thinking. Therefore, this type of heroic image and story could resonate with most of its audiences efficiently. However, in the modern society where the need and standards of society has transformed immensely, this type of story and the overall mood would be more difficult to relate with. However, people would hope for certain things in all time period, so the overall idea of the heroic figure would still be appreciated by modern audiences. (Catherine cui)

Lines 52-80 Post your 1-2 questions here; these must require specific evidence / reference to lines in the saga to answer. Post under the correct and sign your name please!

"Seeing how Grendel hunted when they slept. Distance was safety; the only survivors  Were those who fled him."

Why didn’t Hrothgar hunt Grendel in the night with his powerful army? (JiSup)

ORANGE CLASS As stated: "He [Hrothgar] wept, fearing the beginning might not be the end." If Hrothgar has a successful army as mentioned above why does he not prepare his men to fight Grendel if they know it'll come back? (Alan)

From lines 1-54 in the epic poem Beowulf what literary techniques do they use to portray the king and the

monster differently? (gaby)

Seems like Grendel only hunts people when they are asleep, why not put sentry to watchout for danger? (Nicholas)

Why didn’t everyone and all the soldiers just move base and leave the Herot if Grendel kept coming back to commit more murder? (Carolyn)

Unlike the powerful and fearful leader Hrothgar was described in the beginning, is the mourning and scared Hrothgar the real Hrothgar? (Henry) Are the descriptions of Hrothgar in the beginning just a person that Hrothgar hopes to become one day? (Henry)

Isn't solders the ones who desperate to win? Why adding "Hate had triumphed" at the end of the line 80?(Nicole)

What happens to the way Hrothgar is portrayed after Grendel ransacks Herot? How might the audience view him, and how do the phrases imply the public viewed him? (Anita)

Grendel "smashed [men] unknowingly in their beds." What purpose could this paradox serve in developing the situation? (Jason)

Is there a meaning behind Hrothgar mourning over his dead soldiers when he is glorified as a masculine leader in the beginning? (Steven)

What is the effect of the vast contrast in emotions between the beginning celebration and the current tearful distress? (Chris)

What is the purpose of identifying Grendel as hate incarnate rather than simply a monster seeking a personal vendetta? (Ben)

GREEN CLASS
**Line 71:** "The beginning might not be the end" **Question:** When the speaker refers to the beginning, do they refer to the beginning of the poem (where everything is seemingly good- or where the beginning was the end of terror)? If so, then what events may have come before the beginning, and are they similar to what is occurring now since said events are referred to in the same timeline as the quote? (HAILEY)

Why is Grendel's slaughter written as "how well he had worked" in line 64 if "well" is usually used to praise people's good work? (Phoebe)

In lines 52 - 62, Grendel's actions are described in a very nonchalant, even childish way; what effect does this have, and what does this say about Grendel? (Michelle)

Is there a reason why the different places that each warrior is escaping to is described as "different beds" in lines 76 to 77? Is it to refer back to the incident when Grendel snatched up thirty men and smashed them? What effect does describing Grendel as feeling "delighted" for "his night's slaughter" have? (Jeffrey)

In lines 56~57, there's a word "greed" mentioned when Grendel begins to strike. Does this mean that one of his reason of slaughtering is to obtain the power that Hrothgar owns? In line 62, does the word "delighted" depict that Grendel could've been slaughtered soldiers just for the enjoyment? (Jimmy)

How does the word choices that describe Hrothgar in line 64 to 68 differ from those in previous lines and what effect does it have? (Luke Lim)

Why does the King refer to the people that died as "followers" on line 70? Is he more afraid of losing his power or of his people dying? (Cande)

What does the use of the specific word "warriors" (line 53) tell you about Hrothgar? Explain at least two of Hrothgar's traits that it helps portray. (Max)

At line 80, there seem to be two choices. You are run away to keep the distance or hate and find fight. The two are put in the same line which seems contradictory. Why does the author do that?(Daniel)

Why do you think that people said thoughts were as quick as his "greed" or "his claws"? What are we supposed to get out of this. Why does Grendel only hunt at night? (Eric)

Why do you think the authors state that the men “broke their long feast”? (Anna)

What might be a reason for the authors to describe deaths of the men as their “fate”? (Anna)

In line 79 what do you think is meant by Distance was safety; the only survivors?(Madison)

What does the heroic figure say about the society around the time it was created? (Catherine cui) How has the character Hrothgar changed throughout the poem? (Catherine cui) How does the development of Hrothgar's character foreshadow his choices and his choice in soldiers? (Kelton)

 We need extremes like ‘heroes’ and ‘villains’ in our lives because they represent our society where good and bad are existed and good people try to protect or change our lives better against bad people. Heroes and villains are just exaggerated forms of good and bad. In psychological sense, people have a tendency to have a role model from people who can provide advice and courage to others. A lot of young children want to idolize heroes, such as their bravery and self-sacrifice etc. Also, they learn from villains from their wrong behaviors and children try not to do behaviors that cause harmful to our society. In a literary sense, although stories about heroes and villains are not realistic, people are able to get some lessons and entertain themselves from reading those stories. Also, fictional stories about heroes and villains can provide the diversity of the literature  Almost every fiction story contains some element of a conflict or disagreement between heroes and villains, protagonists and antagonists. Somewhere along the way, the line between the two may even be blurred. The reason this interaction is so common to the genre is quite simple; it’s meant to make one connect with the book on a deeper level. In a literary sense, the conflict is typically accompanied by a backstory for each party, an idea of the time period/setting, and often a hidden “twist” to keep things fresh. These are meant to develop interest in individual story elements, and create a focused purpose for the climax. Otherwise, the climax at the top of the “story mountain” might end up looking more like a valley. While the literary advantages of such an interaction are obvious, the reason it’s so successful has more to do with the psyche of the audience. Whether it’s the protagonist or the antagonist, they allow for connection. There’s a certain feeling when against all odds, the hero succeeds at his goal. There’s a small feeling of sorrow for the villain because of their rough childhood or tragic insanity story. There’s often a desire to be a part of that world, a desire to feel the same power as the hero. The amount of emotion that one can invest in such an adventure is boundless, limited only by the imagination. That connection is only the tip of the branches when it comes to such a deeply rooted archetype. The relationship between audience and hero allows for immersion, thrusting oneself into the story, not just the setting. Whether it’s a character in the adventure or the omniscient third party gazing down, it creates a sublime experience for the mind. This is the most important aspect of the genre, and a massive reason why such a stereotypical conflict has lasted for so long. While reality is often second-rate, there’s nothing more satisfying than losing oneself in a new world.  Essentially, it equates the physical taxation of farming to that of war, and discusses the risks of farming in a time of pillaging. It asserts that while war is physically demanding, it is also intellectually rigorous as a leader. A skilled tactician will be followed into battle more so than a bloody brutal barbarian. The excerpt asserts that the Saga brings out the aspect of the warrior, but often “hints at” the agricultural daily life of the warriors.  A hall erected in honor of a mighty king, reaching towards the heavens. Armies swarm to swear beneath his sword, his people revel in success and bathe in the spoils of war. Hrothgar, upon his throne, allows them to overtake the pastures of conquered lands, and spares those innocent lives within. While these may seem like actions of positive connotation, in reality there is a sense of arrogance, that he considers himself a higher power. The effect certainly differs by time period, and by experience. In the past, where such an understanding was common, people may have seen this passage as the normal actions of a successful king. In modern times, however, history has told us that the subtle arrogance of kings typically leads to their undoing. This is the beginning of the end for our king, and these lines lay that foundation.  What is the effect of the vast contrast in emotions between the beginning celebration and the current tearful distress? (Chris)
 * 1) We as a group most fear the loss of the internet and its resources. Without the internet, the world would lose efficiency and communication, which is what sets the “modern world” apart.

What is the purpose of identifying Grendel as hate incarnate rather than simply a monster seeking a personal vendetta? (Ben)